Deck-plate key



W. MEYER. DECK PLATE K EY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1920.

- Patented July 12, 1921.

INVENTOR A TTORNEYS WITNESSES PALIENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MEYER, OF JAMESTOWN, RHODE ISLAND.

DECK-PLATE KEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1921.

Application filed August 9, 1920. Serial No. 402,141.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jamestown, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and Improved Deck-Plate Key, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a key serving for turning a deck plate by engaging the pins of the key in the pinholes in the deckplate. The ordinary deck plate key has pins in Xed positions relatively to each other and a separate key is required for the different sized plates. 7

The general object of the invention is to provide a key in which the members carrying the pins may have relative movement for positioning the pins at diflerent distances to suit deck plates of difierentsizes.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawing is merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a deck plate key embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, the deck plate key is formed with a body 10' of convenient size and shape having any approved form of handle means for turning the same, there being shown oppositely disposed inclined arms 11 on the body at the top, the arrangement affording a convenient and effective means for manipulating the key. On the body 10 at the bottom adjacent to one end is a depending pin 12.

The pin 18 depends at one end on a slide bar 14 received in a longitudinal throughslot or opening 15 in the body 10 so that said bar 4 projects beyond both ends of the body 10. That end of the bar 14 opposite to the pin 13 is provided with suitable means to prevent complete withdrawal of said bar, there being shown a transverse pin 16 thereon.

With the described construction it will be readily understood that the bar 14 may be slid to vary the distance between the pin 13 and pin 12 to adopt the key to the holes in a given deck plate and thereby one key will serve to turn any deck plate within the capacity of the key. It will be observed also that the slide 1 1 is always free for convenient movement thereof since pressure on the body 10 by the placing of its pin 12 against the deck plate does not result in binding pressure on said slide 14. Also, the provision of the handle arms directly on top of the body 10 promotes convenience in the grasping of the key, positioning the same in the holes of the deck plate and the effective turning of the key without any shifting of the hands.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

As a new article of manufacture, a key of the class described including a body having an opening extending therethrough horizontally from end to end, said body having at the top thereof opposite arms projecting from the ends thereof to constitute handle means for the bodily turning of the key, the body at the under side having a depending pin adjacent to one end, and a slide bar movable in said opening of the body and projecting beyond both ends of the latter, that end of the slide bar opposite to that end of the body having the pin presenting a de pending pin, and means at the opposite end of said slide bar to prevent complete withdrawal of said bar from said body.

WILLIAM MEYER. 

